Apparatus for charging and discharging annealing-furnaces



[No Model.)

7 J. M. GHATPIELD. APPARATUS FOR CHARGING AND DISGHARGING ANNE-ALING FURNACES.

No. 491,768. Patented Feb. 14, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. CHATFIELD, OF TIIOMASTON, CONNECTICUT.

APPARATUS FOR CHARGING AND DISCHARGING ANNEALlNG-FURNACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 91,768, dated February 14, 1893.

Application filed August 1, 1892. Serial No. 441,839. (No model.)

To 60% whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J AMES M. CHATFIELD,

I of Thomaston, in the county of Litchfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvementin Apparatus for Charging and Discharging Annealing-Furnaces; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a View in side elevation of an ap paratus constructed in accordance with my invention and designed for loading and unloading a single-ended annealing furnace. Fig. 2, a view in vertical section, on the line a;-as of Fig. 1, of one of the swinging frames. Fig. 3, a plan view of the mounted thrust-rod as engaged with a tray for pushing the same into the furnace.

My invention relates to an improved apparatus for charging and discharging single and double-ended annealing furnaces, the object being to simplify and facilitate those operations, reduce the amount of manual labor required for them, and locate the apparatus where it will be out of the way, and give a free use of the floor around the furnace.

With these ends in View, my invention consists in an apparatus having certain instrumentalities, and details of construction as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

The furnace A, is of ordinary construction, and furnished with but one door, which is not shown, for charging and discharging. It is provided with the usu al platform A. Above the furnace and preferably suspended from the roof of the foundry, I suspend two frames in line with the furnace-door, and arranged to be swung laterally to the same, so as to cover its width, for it will be understood that the furnace receives two trays or rows of trays side by side, the door of the furnace being thereto made correspondingly wide. The said frames are located in line with each other, but are reversed in position. As herein shown they are suspended from brackets 13, depending from a heavybeam B. It will not be necessary to detail the construction of these frames, as it may vary, but it may be observed that they are hung with their longer sides facing each other.

A chain C, passing over a sprocket'wheel D, extends down under the sheaves E, E, located on opposite sides of the said sprocketwheel with which they keep the chain engaged, and thence in line with the said beams and frames, and over the sheaves E, E,which are substantially in line with the upright sides of the frames. The sprocket-wheel D, is mounted on a driven shaft D, provided with clutch mechanism which is not shown, and having suitable power connections adapting it to be driven in either direction. From the sheaves E, E, the ends of-the chain pass downward, respectively, through two pairs of sheaves F, F, mounted in bearings F, F, (Fig. 2) depending from the said beam B. From the sheaves F, F, the ends of the chain respectively pass down over the sheaves G, G, mounted in the extreme lower ends of the frames, which the chain pulls against when in use as the points of purchase. As shown I have provided one end of the chain with a simple hook H, while its other end is connected with a hook I, offsetting from a clutch-ring I, slipped over the round thrustrod or pole .I. The said rod is mounted to the rear of its longitudinal center upon a single pair of truck wheels, J, and has its forward end furnished with a fork J The clutch-ring I, before mentioned, is adapted in size to slip freely on the pole when held at a right angle thereto, but made so small that when tilted it will cramp upon and clutch the rod so that the harder it is pulled upon, the tighter it will grip the rod. The fork J of the pole is conformed to the shape of the bridles or loops K, attached to the trays K, each tray being provided at one end with a bridle or loop, by means of which it is handied. The trays are brought to, and taken away from, the furnace door, by a truck L, corresponding in height to the platform A.

In charging the furnace, a loaded tray is backed up to the platform, on the truck. Then the end of the chain which passes over the swinging frame adjacent to the furnace, is connected with the hook offsetting from the clutch-ring on the thrust-rod. Now if the sprocket-wheel D, is started so as to draw in the said end of the chain, the mounted thrustrod will be drawn toward the furnace door, pushing the tray over the truck and platform and into the furnace, the load being borne by the lower end of the said frame, which at this 5 time is swung to one side or the other from plumb, according to which side of the furnace the tray is to be pushed into. To dis charge the furnace the end of the chain passing over the other frame is drawn out, and by means ofa poker or other convenient tool the hook at its end is connected with a tray in the furnace. The sprocket-wheel D, is then operated to draw in the chain, whereby the tray is'drawn' out of 'the'furnace, and' I 5 over the platform'thereof, onto the truck abutted against the same, the'load being this time borne by the lower end of the frame:

last'mentioned, which will be swung to one side or the other from a plumb line, accerdout of the furnace. by employing two frames located in line and reversed in position thatI can readily charge and discharge a single-ended furnace in such and discharging of double-ended furnaces, I

employ only one swinging frame, that being arranged with relation to the furnace the same as the right hand frame of Fig. 1 of the drawings. In double-ended furnaces the trays are coupled together in line as is well known,

the line being preserved by attaching a tray to its rearend when tray of annealed rnetal is detached from its forward end. It will therefore be apparent that by connecting the end of the chain with the foremost tray in the furnace, the line may be drawn through the same, and the foremost tray detached, after which the chain will be connected with the next tray behind, and so on. I have not made a special illustration of this use of my invention, as it is thought that it is too obvious to require it.

Apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention is obviously easy to operate,"

as little power is required to swing the susbring them into line with the trays in the furnace. Furthermore, the apparatus gives a free use of the floor around the furnace, as the frames are suspended from above, iand are thus quite out of the way. When not in use, they may, if found desirable, be swung'up into, and secured in, inclined or horizontal positions, in which they will occupy still less rooms The ease and conven- 6o ience with which the frames are operated and ing to the position of the tray to be drawn It will thus be seen that I a manner as to reduce the amount of labor: required, and the exposure to the fierce heat pended frames 'to one side or the other to 1 am aware that a prior patent shows an apparatus employing a suspended frame from which purchase is derived for handling the work in charging and discharging a furnace. I do not, therefore, broadly claim the use of a suspended frame for that purpose.

Having fully described my invention,what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters- Patent, is

'1. An apparatus forloading and unloading annealing furnaces, comprising one or more frames suspended above the furnace in line with the door thereof, and arranged to be swung laterally to the same, but otherwise fixed in position, a chain running over, guided upon, and getting its purchase from the said frame or frames, and means for operating the chain by power, substantially as set forth.

2. An apparatus for loading and unloading annealing furnaces, comprising two independent frames suspended in line in' reverse position above the furnace in line with the 7 door thereifi, and arranged to be swung lat= erally to the same, chain=running over, guided upon and getting its purchase from the said frames, and means for operating the chain by power in opposite directions, sub- 'tantially as set forth.

3. An apparatus for loading and unloading annealing furnaces, comprising a frame suspended above the furnace in line with the door thereof, and arranged to swing laterally thereto, a chain running over, guided upon IOCi and gettin its purchase from the said frame,

means for operating the said chain by power, and a pair of sheaves located near the suspension point of the outer end of the frame,

and receiving the chain between them, substantially as described. I

In testimony whereof I have signed this specii'icationin the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES lVL CIIATFIELD.

Witnesses: w, I

SAMUEL S. LAMB, A. E. BLAKESLEE.

IIO 

